Showing posts with label The Interrupters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Interrupters. Show all posts
Milwaukee Film Festival 2011, A RecapFor me, I began the festival with one goal in mind. Make this MY Film Festival.
Based for me at the Ridge – it was different than if I spent the days at the Oriental (Film Festival Central). But this was what was convenient for me and allowed me to not only see movies, but also be the man my family deserved during the festival.
I came up short on what I had hoped to see, but still ended with 15 films/packages at the theater. (Got Milwaukee Brewers tickets on the last day of the fest – thanks Bob and we had a dance class and Creek Crawl to deal with during the fest.)
That said, what did I see?
Make Believe, The Human Resources Manager, Give Up Tomorrow, Shorts: World’s Best Commercials, When the Drum is Beating, The Interrupters, Somewhere Between, Wish Me Away, The Redemption of General Butt Naked, The Last Mountain, Bhopali, Page One: Inside the New York Times, The Flaw, Breaking and Entering, How Much Does Your Building Weigh Mr. Foster
So after spending nearly 30 hours of my last week or so at the theaters what did I learn.
Chicago has a great group of individuals trying to make a difference in the violence of our neighbor to the south. (The Interrupters)
Paco needs to be freed. (Give Up Tomorrow)
Chely Wright is extremely talented, no matter what her sexual orientation is! (Wish Me Away)
If there is a record to be broken, there will be someone to break it. (Breaking and Entering)
Haitians are an extremely resilient group of people even when you don’t count the Earthquake impact. (When the Drum is Beating)
Magic is alive and well with the youth of the world. (Make Believe)
Despite it’s title, The Redemption of General Butt Naked is not a comedy. (The Redemption of General Butt Naked)
Love him or hate him, David Carr is tenacious! (Page One: Inside the New York Times)
Films can be projected poorly at film festivals. (The Flawat Ridge)
People will complain about anything and everything. (Rumblings in the crowd about having to drive all the way to New Berlin for one of the films)
Directors and producers of even the smallest of films are passionate about filmmaking and are fascinating to listen to at film festivals (Directors/Producers from Make Believe, Give up Tomorrow, When the Drum is Beating, Wish Me Away, Breaking and Entering all did Q & A sessions after their films at the Ridge)
Sure there are things that could be done better – but I’m not here to focus on those right now…but if the Milwaukee Film Festival crew wants my ideas – I’m here! :-)
Overall, Milwaukee Film Festival was a real success. Attendance up 17%, 22 sell-outs and over 35,000 people took in a film. Plus members of Milwaukee Film more than doubled.
Actual festival winners were included in a previous post but here are my picks from what I saw.
Best Film: The Interrupters
I mean it when I say this is the bar for all other documentaries I’ll view before the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards gets my vote.
Most FUN film: Page One: Inside the New York Times, Make Believe (TIE)
Quite frankly, David Carr is the reason, but this film just had a smile on my face throughout. And I just had a smile on my face throughout the magic film Make Believe.
Cause I didn’t know about, but am appalled now that I do:Give Up Tomorrow
Sure with films it takes a side, but the blatant difference between the passion we fight Casey Anthony and others could be used to help Paco get freed with the ACTUAL evidence in his case.
Craziest Title: The Redemption of General Butt Naked
He really is naked at points in here…and he’s now a Christian…but he had impacts in 20,000 deaths (by his admission).
Surprising Moment: Wish Me Away (Chely’s prayers)
I know Christians that would condemn Chely for no other reason than her personal life that don’t pray as well as she admits to in this film. To ask the Lord for peace is so much more effective than wanting a new car, or a job to pay them more money.
Film I Missed that I Really Wanted to See: We Need To Talk About Kevin
Wanted to see this Tilda Swinton film but unfortunately, schedules wouldn’t allow it.
Milwaukee Film Festival – Day 4
Sunday and after church it’s a quick change into some shorts and over to the Ridge Cinema (hey people…you don’t have to go down to the Oriental to see many of these great films!)
And great is the applicable word as another of those films I had circled on the calendar was ready to start my day at HIGH NOON!
The Interrupters had shown the night before to a packed house at the Oriental theater and I couldn’t wait for my chance to experience the documentary that I’d heard so much about.
The film follows the story of members of Cease Fire Chicago as they try to “interrupt” retaliatory killings on the streets in their city. It is there goal to get to the problem, before it explodes. Within the course of the film we are introduced to a number of these brave men and women who always throw caution to the wind and get in between whenever possible.
The Cease Fire team is not filled with goody two shoes individuals. Some of them have a real past, they have street cred as they stood in the same shoes as the individuals they are trying to stop. There are people who have done time, people have run with the gangs an people who know what it’s like to want to pull a trigger in retaliation. They are folks that the kids listen to and whose voices they are willing to examine. Not everything works out for them, but preventing just a couple of killings can make a world of difference.
The stories are emotionally draining. What has a child that is just 13 ever done to deserve a bullet? What has a youngster done to deserve to be beaten to death? What can we do to legitimately intervene?
This film set the bar, off the charts, for the remainder of the docs I see this year. I was visually moved. I cried. I got angry. I felt Ameena and her impassioned cries to the youth in Chicago. I was nervous as Cobe confronted some kids on the verge of running out in front of him and shooting someone. My heart broke as Eddie comes to grips with his own past while working with kids in the present.
These stories moved me and meant something. These are the stories that will move you. It doesn’t matter what color your skin is, where you’ve grown up, who you know; NO child should have to endure sleeping with one eye open. NO child should fear who will be shot in their neighborhood next.
See The Interrupters – you will NOT be disappointed – One of the Best Documentaries this year. If I was throwing grades out here – this is a solid A.
One LAST chance to check out the film – Tuesday 9/27 at 4:15PM at the North Shore Cinema
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From there I quickly ran home to take in at least the first half of the Packers / Bears and Chiefs / Chargers games. I am, alas, the “Common Guy” and NFL Sunday Ticket was calling my name. But as we rolled into halftime of the games – it was time to head back to the 5PM screening I had circled…Somewhere Between.
Somewhere Between tells the story of 4 girls that were adopted from China and their lives as Americans. It comes from the perspective of a filmmaker who, herself, was looking to adopt and wanted some understanding of some of the struggles that exist for these special children. What she found will leave you emotionally drained but uplifted all at the same time.
The young girls were in different parts of the country and each had their own goals and dreams. They had assimilated to the families they had become a part of but some still wanted to know where their journey began. While it can be impossible to get information in many of these cases, that doesn’t stop all of them from digging deeper.
There are organizations that help these girls cope somewhat, but they still struggle with being the “Asian Girl” within an all white neighborhood or family. As teenagers, they are just like other teens, but with a story that is yet to help them define their life before America.
It is truly an emotionally draining movie that has many highs along with a few lows as well. The story centers on the girls, their thoughts and dreams and their goals and aspirations. And with that you become part of the life of a teenage girl with more on their mind than social networks, boyfriends, or schoolwork.
It was a pleasure to experience and share the story of these girls. With a successful beginning, a successful future is all but assured.
No ADDITIONAL showings during the festival.
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And I was going to go back for two additional films, but I decided at that point to call it a weekend. Lots of writing to finish, columns to submit – and off I went. So that was the end of Day 4. (I’m taking Day 5 off for family obligations – back on Day 6)
HOWEVER – if I were to give recommendations for Day 5 – I would head to the Oriental to check out The Redemption of General Butt Naked and 445PM followed by We Need To Talk About Kevin at 7PM (Though the 7PM show is currently SOLD OUT).
I've embedded it below -- One of my favorite films of 2011. The Best Documentary of the Year - PERIOD.
The link below is courtesy of the PBS Frontline web site. The Interrupters was show on there on 2/14. If you haven't seen it - blow it up to full screen and take the time to experience this. If you have seen it - watch it again. There are two versions on the PBS site a Broadcast and Graphic Language version. I have embedded the version with the language here (I think it helps set the movie -- so I do ask for discretion. Both versions can be found on the PBS Frontline website if you prefer the edited "bleeped" version.
And -- if it moves you -- they have a link to buy the DVD and add it to your collection to show everyone you know! Share it! Watch it! Learn from it! Cease Fire!
Watch The Interrupters (Graphic Language) on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.
Home Screening Room
This Week’s Big Releases
The Rum Diary – Rated R (Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart)
Johnny Depp stars in this twisted, weird and a bit fun tale of a journalist who heads to the Caribbean and finds some interesting topics and jobs awaiting for him.
Take Shelter – Rated R (Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain) AVAILABLE Saturday 2/11.
One of the best films from 2011 that you probably never heard of. Michael Shannon is a man that is struggling with visions of coming doom for his family. Because of these visions he takes matters into his own hands to protect and provide for his loved ones. But do they really need the protection, or are there other forces at work. Jessica Chastain is WONDERFUL, Michael Shannon ROCKS and this film is truly tough!
Also new this week…
About Fifty – Rated R (Wendie Malick)
All Things Fall Apart – Rated R (Curtis Jackson, Mario Van Peebles, Ray Liotta)
Beavis and Butt-head: Volume 4 - The boys are back for more.
Family Matters: The Complete Second Season – Not Rated (Jaleel White, Reginald VelJohnson) – Urkel is back – Did I do that?
Seducing Charlie Barker – Rated R (Daphne Zuniga) – I have no idea if this is good or not, but it has Daphne Zuniga (I will always be a fan of hers since Gross Anatomy!)
UFC 139 – 2 discs of MMA goodness.
Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story – Not Rated – Monopoly, I LOVE IT. Narrated by Zachary Levi it goes into more than you ordinary game. Trailer below for your enjoyment...
And Finally
The Interrupters – Not Rated (Cobe Williams, Ameena Matthews)
This is the best documentary released in 2011 and one of the best films of last year, PERIOD. The story of the violence interrupters in Chicago that shows you individuals CAN make a difference. These people put it all out there to the youth of Chicago, and sometimes it works while others it doesn’t, but at least they are making a difference in some young lives. You must see this film.
Check out the trailer below.
Pick of the Week
Hands down, The Interrupters is my pick of the week you do need to see this film. But, I also love Take Shelter and was obsessed with the performances from Shannon and Chastain. And…well Beavis and Butt-head are still…cool.
Thanks!
Pop Popcorn, Do the Dew, and Bust out the Blu and remember to Save Me A Seat!
The 5th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival is planned for September 26 - October 10, 2013.
In 2012 the festival had attendance over 50,000 and 77 sold-out film screenings according to Milwaukee Film.
The cool thing about the film festival for me personally is the last 2 years have featured to of my favorite documentaries to be released.
In 2011 the festival had The Interrupters, a film that took on the gun crimes of Chicago on the streets of Chicago...head on. The brave men and women of the group are doing their part to help at the most direct levels.
And in 2012, the US premiere of Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God was an amazing look inside the Catholic churches priest sex abuse scandals. Director Alex Gibney delivers a haunting and moving tale of lies, coverups and hope for the survivors.
While Mea Maxima Culpa was on the Academy short list for the Oscar, it didn't make the final cut (which is about as egregious as the snub of Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow...but that's another story). Before I get too high on my horse with it, the 4th Milwaukee Film Festival DID feature 3 of the 5 nominees in the final Documentary category and is proving to be a place that midwestern viewers can count on for that programming.
Most of the details are still to come include the Call For Entries, Venues, Ticket Options and the like, but if the past couple years are any indications... the fall in the Milwaukee area will be hot!
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| Sold-out crowd at the Oriental Theatre for the MFF 2012 Opening Night Film, Starbuck (photo credit: Jennifer Johnson) |